Category: Uncategorized

It’s another busy week on Capitol Hill. Here are some of the hearings we’re paying attention to this week.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Senate HELP
MEDICAL INNOVATION FOR PATIENTS
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE
9 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: INTERIOR-ENVIRONMENT
2:30 p.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Armed Services
FISCAL 2016 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION
10 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Education & the Workforce
COLLEGE ACCESS ISSUES
10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Energy & Commerce
21ST CENTURY CURES BILL
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Science, Space & Technology
NASA REAUTHORIZATION
11 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

FRIDAY, MAY 1

House Science, Space & Technology
BATTERY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
9 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

The House Appropriations Committee adopted Fiscal Year 2016 subcommittee discretionary allocations, also known as 302(b)s, by voice vote following two markups Wednesday. The 302(b)s are the levels of federal discretionary spending per measure and the adoption will allow the committees to move forward with their work in crafting the 12 annual appropriations measures.

In addition, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the FY16 Energy-Water and FY16 Military Construction-VA spending bills today, along with voting to approve the FY16 spending allocations for all 12 regular bills. The Energy-Water committee report contains language pushing back against the Obama administration’s proposed Clean Water Rule, as well as language addressing the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev. The MilCon-VA bill, meanwhile, has language that a step toward providing a basis for a politically unpopular round of military base closures and realignments.

The Senate will follow suit, but the levels passed by the two respective legislative bodies might not be similar. This discrepancy will add to the FY16 appropriations challenges.

Here are the committee hearings we’re monitoring this week.

MONDAY, APRIL 20

Conferences Committee Meetings
FISCAL 2016 BUDGET
3 p.m. April 20, 106 Dirksen Bldg.
Senate-House Budget Conference meeting to consider the Senate- and House-passed fiscal 2016 budget bills.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation
TELEHEALTH EXPANSION
10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE
10:30 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: TRANSPORTATION-HUD
10 a.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: 302(B) ALLOCATIONS
10:45 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

House Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: ENERGY-WATER
10:45 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

House Science, Space & Technology
AMERICA COMPETES REAUTHORIZATION ACT
10:15 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION
10 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senators Alexander and Murray announced significant progress in negotiations with their intent to mark up the reauthorization, and potential overhaul, of No Child Left Behind or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) the week of April 13. The senators’ announcement follows weeks of speculation over whether lawmakers will finish negotiating the bill.

The progress in the Senate is in stark contracts to the House efforts, which have stalled out. Last week, the House was slated to consider their version of the ESEA, but the measure was put on hold and eventually pulled from consideration. There is no clear timeframe on if or when the House will consider the bill.

Today, Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have reintroduced the Campus Accountability & Safety Act (CASA) for the 114th Congress with a group of ten bipartisan Senators cosponsoring. The House is also expected to drop a companion bill in the near future.

Last Congress, CASA caused many issues for the higher education community with the scope and breadth of the legislation. The current version of CASA appears to correct many of the issues higher education and victims advocates raised with the legislation in the 113th Congress.

Below is additional information on CASA and relevant federal initiatives:

• Text of Campus Accountability & Safety Act
• Campus Accountability & Safety Act 1-pager
• White House Task Force Report
• A Guide to Federal Resources
• Dept. of Education’s Office Of Civil Rights
• Summary Of The Jeanne Clery Act
• List of CASA Supporters

The Office of Federal Relations is reviewing and tracking the legislation, and will continue to update the blog with further information.